Beaujolais Nouveau on 11/27 - beyond polemics

Of course, there are trends in wine just like everything else.
Even among the more staid, bourgeois wine drinkers among us .

A recent trend is to knock Beaujolais.

Indeed, the press has not been kind to the appellation and sales have suffered.
Saying you like Beaujolais these days is like admitting to having seduced the babysitter.

However, let me speak up in defense of Beaujolais on 2 counts:

- Beaujolais Nouveau is simply *fun*. It's cheap and cheerful, and is one of the minor events on the calendar I look forward too. To a certain extent, quality is not the paramount attraction at this price point. It's the ritual of the thing. Many of the labels look good, and some of the better known shippers/producers put out a very honest product.
So, color me a hopeless romantic, or fool, or babysitter seducer, but I always buy Beaujolais Nouveau at least once in November - not expecting a Clos de Vougeot, but a fun, fruity, little wine.

- Of course, there is Beaujolais and Beaujolais. And I, too, have had the pale, watered-down, hollow, and disappointing stuff. But, let's face it, there are some very good examples of Beaujolais as well, and not just among the ten "crus".
When I think of a good "anytime" wine to have with dinner, I often pull out a bottle of Beaujolais. And this appellation has often been a friend to me in the bistros of Paris.

Bad wine deserves scorn, for sure. But, please, let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Let us take Beaujolais Nouveau for what it is (and what it costs), and have a nuanced judgement of the appellation as a whole.

Best regards,
Alex R.

[David M. Bueker]

Saying you like Beaujolais these days is like admitting to having seduced the babysitter.

Huh? Where's the problem?

Anyway, this is a strange forum to post a defense of Beaujolais. There's a ton of Beaujolais fans here.

As for Nouveau (and isn't the release date 11/20), I really consider it a different beast. It's a party. To consider Nouveau indicative of the region would be the rough equivalent of considering fermenting samples of Entre-deux-mers to be the flagship of Bordeaux.

Yup, David.
My mistake. Release date is indeed tomorrow.

My wife's away on a busines trip and will be returning on Friday.
I may just spring a bottle on her with dinner.
And have my way with her afterward instead of the babysitter!

Best regards,
Alex R.

Alex,

I think that we are now in a period of reaction against the commercial hype which used to surround the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau. I was taken aback on one Beaujolais Nouveau day by the normally sensible owner of a London restaurant where I was a regular, who appeared decked out as the caricatural French peasant with all the clichés from beret on the head to baguette under the arm.

Each year, I still buy a handful of bottles from assorted producers to get a glimpse of the new vintage and also because good examples can be delicious.

Of course, there are trends in wine just like everything else.
Even among the more staid, bourgeois wine drinkers among us .

A recent trend is to knock Beaujolais.

I disagree that this is recent. We had the same conversation 5, 10 and 20 years ago (maybe not here!).

Tom T.

Tom,

I did a Web search to try to find statistics of Beaujolais exports to the United States over several years, but had no luck.

It was my understanding that there had been a recent decline in shipments to America (as opposed to one going back many years).

Meanwhile, this is from Wikipedia (post 2000 events, which undoubtedly have had an influence:

Following the 2001 vintage, over 1.1 million cases of Beaujolais wine (most of it Beaujolais Nouveau) had to be destroyed or distilled due to lackluster sale as part of a consumer backlash against the popularity of Beaujolais Nouveau. French wine critic François Mauss claimed, in an interview given to a local newspaper Lyon Mag, that the reason for the backlash was the poor quality of Beaujolais Nouveau that had flooded the market in recent decades. He claimed that Beaujolais producers had long ignored the warning signs that such a backlash was coming and continued to produce what Mauss termed as vin de merde (shit wine).[3] This triggered an outcry among Beaujolais producers followed by an association of 56 cooperative producers filing a lawsuit against the Lyon Mag for publishing Mauss comments. Rather than sue for libel, the producers sued under an obscured French law that prevented the denigration of French products. In January 2003 the court in Villefranche-sur-Saône found in the Beaujolais producers favor and awarded USD$350,000 which would put the small, employee owned publication out of business.[4] The bad publicity garnered from the "Shit wine case" was extensive, with several publications such as Le Monde, The Times, The New York Times and the Herald Tribune running critical or satirical articles on the court's decision.[3] In 2005 the highest court of appeal found that there was no case for defamation and Representatives of the Beaujolais winemakers were ordered to pay €2,000 (USD$2,442) in court costs to Lyon Mag.[3]

The Vins Georges Duboeuf company was charged in 2005 with mixing low-grade wine with better vintages after a patchy 2004 harvest.[5] Georges Duboeuf denied wrongdoing, blaming human error and pointing out that none of the affected wine was released to consumers.[5] The production manager directly responsible admitted his actions and resigned, and a court found that both "fraud and attempted fraud concerning the origin and quality of wines" had been committed.[5] Fewer than 200,000 liters of the company's annual 270 million liter production were implicated, but L'Affaire Duboeuf, as it was called, was considered a serious scandal.[6] In December 2007, five people were arrested after reportedly selling nearly 600 tonnes of sugar to growers in Beaujolais. Up to 100 growers were accused of using the sugar for illegal chaptalization and also of exceeding volume quotas between 2004 and 2006.[7]


Best regards,
Alex R.

I think Beaujolais' image problem indicates that 90% of wine drinkers don't even know that the Crus exist. The first time I tasted Morgon it instantly overturned my understanding and conceptions of Beaujolais (and of Gamay as well).

Which raises an interesting question: why does Beaujolais behave so differently than the other wine regions of France when it comes to generic wines of the region versus specific appellations? With Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Rhone, etc., the cheap, generic versions may not have the complexity or quality, but they are identifiable as wines from that region, having a character similar to, if lesser than, the better wines. But basic Beaujolais tastes nothing like the Crus. In fact, hand someone who had not tasted a Cru Beaujolais before a blind taste, and they'd probably guess they were drinking a Burgundy. In fact, here's a hypothesis: could it be that in Beaujolais, the 'sense' of the quality tree is inverted? Which is to say in Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Rhone, the specific appellations are seen as the reference expression for the region, with the generics being an everyday version. In Beaujolais however, it seems perhaps that to most people (even to me in some sense) the generic wines are the reference expression, and the Crus are more 'esoteric' and interesting but not necessarily typical versions.

Which raises an interesting question: why does Beaujolais behave so differently than the other wine regions of France when it comes to generic wines of the region versus specific appellations? With Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Rhone, etc., the cheap, generic versions may not have the complexity or quality, but they are identifiable as wines from that region, having a character similar to, if lesser than, the better wines. But basic Beaujolais tastes nothing like the Crus.

I'm not sure I agree with this. I think there are strong similarities across regions in terms of basic wines vs. village or vineyard specific wines.

E.g. Dubouef's basic Beaujolais tastes like Beaujolais, industrial as it may be. Brun's basic Beaujolais tastes like Beaujolais, artisanal as it may be. Both producers have Cru wines that offer more personality.

Which is to say in Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Rhone, the specific appellations are seen as the reference expression for the region, with the generics being an everyday version. In Beaujolais however, it seems perhaps that to most people (even to me in some sense) the generic wines are the reference expression, and the Crus are more 'esoteric' and interesting but not necessarily typical versions.

Not sure what you mean here. 'Reference' and 'typical' are different things. Nothing 'typical' about DRC or Chave's Hermitage. Same thing with Foillard's Cote du Py.

New here and first post so be easy... I have tried a lot over 40 years and found some types of wine I like and many I am not a fan of. I have tried the dubouef since it started. 1985/86 maybe here in the States. A Big Fan. I also like the Villages a lot and the Julianas. Villages I find is a very palatable everyday wine that goes well by itself and with any other food - literally. Matter of fact it has been my favorite bar none. Yes i like a nice chardonnay from time to time too. I appreciate the fruit taste and the less 'tannicy' quality. Last year finished it for me when the nouveau was priced at $18.99 pl. tax. and this year it is $20 or so dollars plus tax. Last year was my last year! Not spending that much money on the wine even if it is my favorite. It was around $10 a bottle when it started and slowly went up a bit to $12 a few years ago then 2 years ago to $15.99 to $18.99 last year to insanity this year. I agree it made the Fall and Thanksgiving flavor. I realize a lot of snooty wine people look down on it and so does the owner of the local store when i pass up other stuff in favor of a Villages. But hey, in my old age; This is what pleases me and is extremely palatable. A fine peasant wine for the peasant in me!

Norman,

Welcome! I hope you stick around.

Tom T.

Thanks Tom! I hope I did not tick anyone off with my candor.

As a side note: I just started my small humble personal vineyard last week. Plan to extend it a bit with another variety and a few more vines and in 3-4 years see what it brings. Made my first batch of wine today matter of fact! An auspicious day!

[David M. Bueker]

Norman - welcome. Nice first post.

You're getting hosed on Nouveau pricing. Even with contracts that were signed under the 1.60 FX (dollar to Euro) the 2008 Nouveau is only going to be $13.99 here in my neck of the woods.

Thanks Tom! I hope I did not tick anyone off with my candor.

As a side note: I just started my small humble personal vineyard last week. Plan to extend it a bit with another variety and a few more vines and in 3-4 years so what it brings. Made my first batch of wine today matter of fact! An auspicious day!

Welcome Norman! Be not afraid - you'll never 'tick off' anyone here with candor - this is a friendly bunch. And I agree with you - a good vintage of Duboeuf's B-V (Flower Label) is a real pleaser. But I've had some uninspiring ones too.

Yes! I realize that! It is incredible. Coming from the Northeast - Western New York and Ontario, and also CT too, TN is a ripoff situation re: prices on wines. I used to buy 3-6 cases a year. This year is probably the first year ever I will not even buy 1 bottle. That is why I decided to make my own and even grow my own. I told them last year it was highway robbery. Guy told me today $20 or so a bottle before tax. I told him I'll pass!


p.s. My vineyard name is Gray Wizard Vineyards.

[David M. Bueker]

Very cool Norman - quite Gandalf-esque. We have some Tolkien fans here as well.

Very cool Norman - quite Gandalf-esque. We have some Tolkien fans here as well.

Ce govannen hí na 'lass! (just looked that up, I don't actually know Sindarin). Didn't even notice your avatar Norman. You are indeed among friends! You might be interested in a discussion we had a few months ago:
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=17189&p=145348#p145348

[Will most likely finish "Of the Voyage of Earendil and the War of Wrath" on bus home today.]

Welcome to the WLDG Norman. Our paths cross again!
FWIW - Dubouef's Nouveau will be selling locally (Buffalo) tomorrow for $7.99.

God that is almost 2 1/2 bottles to one of mine! I am not sure if you or Wade or oldjenx sent me here, so I figured I'd check it out!

Have a bottle or two for me please!

Thanks Howie!

On the issue of Nouveau prices, I only ever buy the stuff once it goes on clearance. It just doesn't make any since otherwise. Especially when I can get Drouhin's Morgon for the same price or often less!

On the issue of Nouveau prices, I only ever buy the stuff once it goes on clearance

How long does that usually take?

On the issue of Nouveau prices, I only ever buy the stuff once it goes on clearance

How long does that usually take?

I want to say 6 - 8 months, but I'm not 100% sure. At which point, the price is usually cut by half.

I want to say 6 - 8 months, but I'm not 100% sure. At which point, the price is usually cut by half.

Interesting. I guess some of the better BN will still show well even at that point. And in theory it is the 'better' ones that are finding their way across the Atlantic.

I want to say 6 - 8 months, but I'm not 100% sure. At which point, the price is usually cut by half.

Interesting. I guess some of the better BN will still show well even at that point. And in theory it is the 'better' ones that are finding their way across the Atlantic.

I had one of the 2006's in Nov 07, and it was impressively good.

I had one of the 2006's in Nov 07, and it was impressively good.

What producer?

I don't doubt that the better ones age well for some time.